CA Teacher Authors Original Score to Accompany Twelfth Night
The song titles of “Viola’s Dilemma,” “Olivia’s Confusion,” and “Mocking Malvolio,” hint at the human angst in the romantic comedy, Twelfth Night, by William Shakespeare. This 1600s play was written as a concluding production to the holiday season. This year at Colorado Academy, it is the debut Upper School production for new Director of Visual and Performing Arts, Dr. Julianne De Sal, and a bold choice for an inaugural performance.
Apparently, there will be many “firsts” with this one, including an original score for a student production written by CA Music Composition instructor Brian Golden.
“It was fun to be asked,” says Golden, speaking of De Sal’s request that he compose original music for the play. The pieces are written for cello and flute, and will be played live by Upper School students Danny Rosen and Emmet Ela on cello, and Jill Murphy and Paige Thomas on flute. CA music instructors Jennifer Arnold and Isabella Ubertone are working with them to learn the score.
All together, there are 20 pieces of music, some are just several-second interludes, and other, longer pieces introduce parts of the play. Golden worked first with De Sal to understand where the music would go, how it would help communicate the action in the play, and how long it would need to be. “If you’re not communicating something, there is not much purpose to it,” says Golden. “The challenge lies in how to effectively put that together.”
All together, there are 20 pieces of music, some are just several-second interludes, and other, longer pieces introduce parts of the play. Golden worked first with De Sal to understand where the music would go, how it would help communicate the action in the play, and how long it would need to be. “If you’re not communicating something, there is not much purpose to it,” says Golden. “The challenge lies in how to effectively put that together.”
In Twelfth Night, the character Viola is shipwrecked and loses contact with her twin brother, Sebastian. She believes him to be dead. Viola disguises herself as a young man and ends up serving as the intermediary between a Duke and his passionate love, Olivia. Olivia, however, is in love with the disguised Viola. The comical love triangle leads to confusion, chaos, and yes, marriage.
Golden says he started by getting to know the lovelorn characters and then began by composing on the piano using a pencil and manuscript paper. He then transferred his notes to a computer using Sibelius, a music composition and notation software. Once in digital form, Golden could hear, refine, and print the music.
As the play moves into rehearsal, Golden says he’ll be helping in the theatre as the musicians rehearse with the actors. “I want it to be an educational experience for them,” he says.
This is the first play that Golden has composed a score for; though he has often written music for the Boulder Ballet, and a variety of music for dance performances. “I’m looking at movement when I write,” he says.
De Sal is excited to see the final product. “Collaboration in performance is, and always will be, the essence of art,” she says. “Mr. Golden is passionate about all he does. You give him a concept and he lights up with a plethora of possibilities. As Orsino says in Twelfth Night, “If music be the food of love, play on!”
Twelfth Night will run Friday and Saturday, December 11 and 12 at 7:00 p.m. in the Froelicher Theatre. Tickets are available online.
In addition to this work at CA, Golden and his wife Christy just released the second of their four seasonal CDs of Ballets for Children titled “Leaves are Dancing.”
Click the photos below to hear three of the 20 pieces composed for the production.
Click the photos below to hear three of the 20 pieces composed for the production.
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